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*** UPDATE *** News-Gazette…
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District announced Sunday a Champaign County woman in her 50s has the first confirmed case of coronavirus disease in the local community.
She is at home in isolation and recovering, and all her close contacts are being identified and contacted, according to the health district.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* From yesterday…
Gov. Pritzker’s 2:30 pm press conference has been moved back to 3 o’clock. Click here to watch it live and click here to monitor the event on the live coverage post.
* From 1918 during the influenza outbreak…
“Coughers, sneezers and spitters shall be expelled.” Heh.
* DuPage…
DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin is signing a disaster declaration after a resident of a long-term care facility tested positive for the coronavirus.
The woman, who is in her 60s, is a resident of the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook, officals announced during a Sunday morning press conference.
The building has been locked down to outside visitors, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said when he announced DuPage County’s first case Saturday. Other residents are being carefully monitored to prevent further spread of the virus, he said.
* Cumberland County in eastern Illinois…
Cumberland County officials have declared a state of emergency after a male resident in his 70s was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
All events in Cumberland County, including church services, have been canceled for the next week, as officials seek to determine who may have come into contact with the man and prevent the further spread of the virus.
“We are doing our background checks for him, his interactions and where he’s been,” said Roy Clapp, Cumberland County Board chairman.
The patient was treated at the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center emergency room. The Illinois Department of Public Health notified the hospital late Friday that he had tested positive for the virus, the hospital said.
* NPR Illinois…
Testing for the novel coronavirus is still restricted in Sangamon County on Sunday, despite the first two confirmed cases being announced Saturday evening.
The two private hospitals in Springfield — Memorial Medical Center and HSHS St. John’s — have contracted with private companies to get test kits for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
But they have not begun using the tests, as the Illinois Department of Public Health still determines who should be tested, according to a St. John’s spokesperson.
Local public health officials and hospital leaders on Saturday said testing will be prioritized for people who have been in contact with those who have confirmed cases or those who have traveled to areas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deem high risk, including China and Italy.
“The same criteria that the Illinois Department of Public Health is applying, so are most of these labs,” said Dr. Raj Govindaiah, chief medical officer at Memorial Health Systems. “It increases the number of labs doing the test; it does not make it easier for you to get a test.”
The problem is the lack of test kits available both here and nationwide. It’s ridiculous. Mark Maxwell of WCIA TV has an informational story about how he wasn’t able to get tested. Click here.
* Oy…
The Trump administration has been working to relax regulations governing America’s nursing homes, including rules meant to curb deadly infections among elderly residents.
That was published yesterday.
* Good news from Rivers Casino…
Rich,
I hope you are taking care of yourself while you bust your tail on all of the pandemic coverage. We do appreciate the updates though.
I just wanted to make sure your readers know that Rivers Casino Des Plaines, which is temporarily shutting down today for two weeks, is, per Neil Bluhm, continuing to pay all 1500 employees over that time. This includes tipped employees.
I’ll keep you posted. Let me know if you need anything of me.
Culloton
* Good move…
Walmart stores across the country will adjust their operating hours as the nation continues to take precautions in the face of the coronavirus.
The national retailer has announced that it will close overnight to allow employees to restock shelves and sanitize and clean the stores.
* I simply cannot keep up with all the breaking news. This is just an unprecedented situation. I am posting press releases and other updates on the live coverage post, which also picks up my retweets, so click here and keep an eye on the post.
Other COVID-19 updates can be found here…
* Chicago Tribune
* Daily Herald
* Sun-Times
* WTTW
* WCIA
* The Southern
* Effingham Daily News
* Peoria Journal Star
* Rockford Register-Star
Some of these are site searches because the outlets don’t have their own COVID-19 pages, so you’re going to get a lot of national and international overlap. Sorry.
